Do You Feel Safe leaving Your Crockpot On While You Are Not Home?

[Geri K]

I have a friend who does not trust leaving her crockpot on if she isn't home. How do you feel about this? Is it safe or unsafe? I believe that it is safe to do so and not worry that it will burn your house down if its faulty.

 

[christine]

I feel safe leaving my crockpot on while I at work. However, I only work 5 mins. away from home and check on it during my lunch hour.

 

[Barbara G.]

I have not ever really had an issue leaving mine on while away. I would however be more concerned with an older crockpot which has been used from many, many years.

 

[Susan Mann]

The reason I have a crockpot is so that I can cook something without being there or having to watch it. Statistically, I have a feeling that it is more dangerous to drive to the store than leave your crockpot on while you are away from home.

 

[Geri K]

I have a friend who does not trust leaving her crockpot on if she isn't home. How do you feel about this? Is it safe or unsafe? I believe that it is safe to do so and not worry that it will burn your house down if its faulty.

Looks like this is a controversial issue. According to Fox news
“It’s not safe to leave any appliance on without someone in the house,” says Jim Long, the public information director of the New York Fire Department. And though he personally doesn’t recall a recent incident in which a slow cooker was to blame for a fire, he says that the FDNY has seen “all sorts of cooking-type incidents, from appliances to hot plates.”
“I don’t believe that it’s safe … to exit your apartment or home, with this kind of method of preparation,” he adds.
Slow cooker manufacturers Crock-Pot®, however, beg to differ. While they suggest certain safety precautions in their instruction manuals, the company responds affirmatively to the question, “Can the Crock-Pot® Slow Cooker be used unattended?” on the Frequently Asked Questions section of their website. Their answer, in full, reads as follows:
Yes. Crock-Pot® Slow Cookers are safe for countertop cooking for extended periods of time. If holding food on the warm setting for a long time, cut back on the cook time accordingly to reduce overcooking.
Aileen Fanjul, a representative of the Crock-Pot® brand at Jarden Consumer Solutions, says the appliance doesn't need to be monitored at all times. "It is safe to leave your Crock-Pot® slow cooker on as it runs on very low wattage.
magazine.foxnews.com/at-home/are-slow-cookers-safe”

 

[TheresaL]

I have never had an issue with a crock pot that caused concern of fire either while I was home or away. The worst that has ever happened is the crock pot didn't work at all and I came home to a cold uncooked meal.